5 Es Lesson Plan

The 5 E model of lesson planning is designed specifically to foster scientific inquiry. It is possible, using the model, to incorporate many of the brain-friendly practices outlined on this website. One of the elements that make it so compatible with the brain is the fact that, when used thoughtfully, it allows the teacher to act as a facilitator in a student’s learning. It allows the student to construct new knowledge based on thoughtful inquiry and decision-making.

Engage Explore Explain Extend Evaluate

Engage

• This is your time to grab your student’s attention and get them to start thinking about the topic.
• This can take many forms, such as:

1. A brief warm-up (writing, discussion, or activity) related to the topic. An example of this is to have the students access prior knowledge by telling about an experience that they have had with the subject. It is very important that the students understand that their responses at this time may or may not be correct and that further investigation is most likely necessary.
2. A short video clip. There are a wealth of free, short video clips on YouTube and TeacherTube as well as services that you have to pay for such as Discovery Streaming and BrainPop.

Explore

• This is time for hands-on investigation of the topic. Students should be given the chance to explore using appropriate tools and their five senses. During this time they can investigate the validity of a hypothesis that they have.
• Students should be encouraged to collaborate and share their experiences.

Explain

• After students have had a chance to investigate the topic they now have a context in which to discuss the curriculum content.
• This is a great time to use graphic organizers and word walls to allow students to experience the information in several different ways. Remember to take into account the various learning styles in your classroom!
• This is also the time to provide feedback to the students and to clear up any misconceptions that the students may have about the topic.

Extend

• To further reinforce the learning and help make it more permanent, the students should apply their knowledge in a meaningful way.
• This may include applying their new knowledge to an unfamiliar situation.

Evaluate

• Have the students applied their new learning in an appropriate way that shows their deeper understanding of the topic? More traditional formative and summative assessments are often used to evaluate a student's mastery of the topic. If students do not perform well on these evaluations it may be necessary to revisit the Explore and Explain portions of the lesson.
• Evaluation is for the teacher as well as the student! Ask yourself if there is anything that you could have done differently!

Introduction

Learning Styles

Time to Learn

Setting

Give Your Brain A Boost

5 E Lesson Plan

References

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